The business appeared before Detroitís Board of Zoning Appeals earlier this month with the intent of asking for permission to store more pet coke on its property, but pulled that request. Instead, it asked for a variance to allow storage of 100-foot mounds of the other materials.

Thatís a lot of salt ó imagine piles as tall as the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle or the tower in front of the Shrine of the Little Flower on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak.

Detroit Bulk Storage Vice President Noel Frye says that sites to store such materials along the riverfront are limited, noting that the city relocated cement companies once housed east of the Renaissance Center decades ago, and that there are only a few spots on the riverfront that can accommodate the deep-water freighters that transport the substances.

The zoning board tabled the new request, saying it hadnít had time to evaluate it.

Residents of the area arenít likely to be much more excited about giant piles of salt and limestone than they were about giant piles of pet coke. The zoning board is asking for information about the potential health and environmental impacts of those substances; itís worth remembering that inhaling any kind of dust can cause health problems. Current guidelines seem to indicate that storage of salt and limestone is allowed, but in 8-foot piles behind a concealing wall. Itís the amount of the stuff Detroit Bulk Storage wants to locate on the riverfront that requires a variance.

The whole situation is kind of a mess, and itís the sort of thing that happens when you donít have a plan.

Residents shouldnít have to live with industrial materials piled outside their doors, but Frye rightly noted that lofts in the area are converted industrial buildings. Just as residents have a right to an undisturbed quality of life, the company has a right to do business. But that doesnít mean it has a right to a variance, unless it can make a compelling case that it deserves one. (And the company certainly shouldnít improperly store pet coke, as it apparently did last summer.)

This is kind of a ďwhither the riverfrontĒ moment, and itís landing in the lap of the zoning board, with input from the cityís Building, Safety, Engineering and Environmental Department. But the question should also involve Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, the cityís planning department ó and the Detroit Future City plan, the landmark document that crafts a comprehensive framework for land use in Detroit.

But itís also an early look at the complications that surround rationalizing land use in the city. Riverfront property is an enormous residential attractor, but itís also a business asset. Whatís the best use of this stretch of riverfront property, or any stretch of riverfront property? In Detroit Future Cityís 50-year vision, the stretch of riverfront north of the Ambassador Bridge is designated ďgreen mixed-rise,Ē primarily residential, commercial/retail and green space; south of the bridge is marked for industrial use.

So what does this mean for Detroit Bulk Storage, or companies like it? Itís too early for any business to panic. The future city plan looks 50 years out, and thatís if everything goes according to plan.

But whatever the outcome in this case, it underscores the need for the city to develop a consistent standard ó and stick to it. Itís important to have a fair standard, applied evenly. Businesses and residents need certainty before making investments, and the city needs to understand and maximize its resources.

Detroit canít afford to lose residents. It canít afford to lose businesses. And it certainly canít afford to squander the riverfront, one of its greatest assets.